Motor vehicles often include an inflatable restraint apparatus having an airbag device with a deployable airbag positioned in or behind an interior vehicle panel, such as an instrument panel, door panel, seats, and the like. Many interior panels include an integrated airbag door formed into the interior panel that is designed to break free upon deployment of the airbag. Often an area of the interior panel surrounding the integrated airbag door is scored or pre-weakened to form a seam that facilitates a clean airbag deployment e.g., airbag deployment with minimal or no fragmentation.
Foam-in-place (FIP) interior panels are often used to provide a padded finish to desired areas of the interiors of motor vehicles. FIP interior panels include a substrate and a skin covering with a foam layer formed between the skin covering and the substrate to provide padding for a softer finish. During fabrication, the foam layer is typically formed by injecting a liquid, e.g., polyurethane precursors such as diisocyanates and polyols, or other foam forming material(s), between the substrate and the skin covering. In FIP interior panels that include an airbag device, an opening is typically defined in the substrate to accommodate the airbag device. During foaming, there is a possibility that the liquid foam forming material that is injected between the skin and the substrate may seep into the opening in the substrate that is for accommodating the airbag device. As a result, foam may be formed into areas that interface with the airbag device during airbag deployment, which would be undesirable. Consequently, there is a need to form a seal to prevent liquid foam forming material from entering the opening and leaking into areas that interface with the airbag device to minimize fragmentation during airbag deployment.
In one example disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,237,797, issued to Dailey et al., a modular airbag door assembly that includes an airbag chute is mounted to a substrate of a FIP instrument panel. The modular airbag door assembly covers an opening formed through the substrate and an airbag device is attached to the airbag chute. The FIP instrument panel includes a manually applied gasket that is sandwiched between a flange of the airbag chute and the outer surface of the substrate surrounding the opening. The gasket provides a seal between the airbag chute and the outer surface of the substrate to prevent liquid foam forming material from leaking into areas that interface with the airbag device. Unfortunately, the manually applied gasket is not always properly positioned or is missing altogether, which results in leakage of the liquid foam forming material into and/or around the airbag device. Additionally, the piece cost of the gaskets and the expense of applying the gaskets can be relatively expensive.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide FIP interior panels having integrated airbag doors for motor vehicles with consistent sealing to prevent liquid foam forming material from leaking into areas that interface with an airbag device, and methods for making such interior panels. Additionally, it is desirable to provide FIP interior panels having integrated airbag doors for motor vehicles with relatively low cost sealing, and methods for making such interior panels. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.